For Years to Come
by Spiderwiz
Summary: A young Aragorn happens to stumble upon a certain injured elf while traveling to Mirkwood for the first time, and gets caught up in a plot involving many giant spiders, orcs, and evil elves. Join Aragorn and Legolas as they mark their first adventures together!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey guys! I just finished Hunted (if you haven't read that one already, you should go and give it a try) and came up with this idea. I've been wanting to do an 'Aragorn meets Legolas' fic for a while now, so I've finally decided to go and do it! This is pre FotR obviously, and takes place when Aragorn is still young (around 20). Lord of the Rings belongs to Tolkien, but any name you don't recognize belongs to me! Enjoy, and please comment below!**

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"Legolas, behind you!" a tall, dark haired elf by the name of Adasser called. Legolas whipped around, daggers in hand, and held one to the throat of his opponent. He grinned. "You have my thanks, mellon-nin." His eyes narrowed. "Surrender."

The elf who currently had a dagger to his throat rolled his eyes and put his hands up in a sign of surrender. "Fine. You win again, Legolas." As Legolas lowered his dagger, the other elf turned and glared at Adasser. "Though someone gave you an unfair advantage."

Adasser grinned too, and walked up to them. "I did no such thing. Were this real combat, the help of an ally would not be an 'unfair advantage'."

The elf scowled. "Why not be an ally unto your own brother then?"

"Oh dear Hasdir…" Adasser bowed in a playful manner at Legolas. "My allegiance will always go to my liege before it goes to you." He straightened up and the light sound of elven laughter filled the gardens. "But do not look so down, brother. You fought well."

Legolas clasped the shoulder of the elf -Hasdir- and chuckled. "Adasser speaks the truth. Though if you ever want a rematch, you know where to find me."

Hasdir sighed. "Very well. I will accept defeat - this time. But I will eventually demand a rematch." A sudden smile came onto his face and the three elves walked through the gardens and into the large palace of King Thranduil. "Now I do believe we have a patrol to get ready for."

Legolas nodded. "We do indeed. And I won't risk my father's displeasure by being late for it again. Remember last time? 'You're Mirkwood's heir Legolas, can't you bother to be on time for once? Think of the example it's setting for our people'." His voice was raised in a terrible imitation of Thranduil's, and he flicked his hair for dramatic effect. "Oh great Eru… I just need to get out of the palace for a while. Patrol sounds very nice right now, even if it does mean fighting giant spiders."

Hasdir smirked. "I don't blame you."

Legolas rolled his eyes playfully and then stopped at the armory. He grabbed his bow and twin daggers, while the other two elves grabbed bows as well. He suspected the other members of Mirkwood's patrol were already waiting for them by the gates. He probably should have been ready earlier, but he had gotten a little caught up in training. Best archer in Mirkwood he may be, he still needed the practice.

Once finished in the armory, they left for the gates, where the other elves of the patrol were indeed waiting. "You haven't been waiting long, have you?" Adasser asked them.

One of the elves there shook his head. "Worry not, we just finished preparing. You are right on time."

Legolas let out a breath he hadn't even known he'd been holding. "Good," he replied. "Now let us depart." He nodded to the guards at the gate, and it opened. And thus the elven patrol entered the dark forest.

At first, there wasn't much to see. It was just all trees and the occasional deer or rabbit. But that was because the majority of the spiders nested deeper into the forest.

Legolas hadn't known a time when the forest had been peaceful. Apparently, that had been centuries before he was born. His father, Thranduil, told him many stories of it though. But even he hadn't known that peace for that long. Dark forces had corrupted it and now it was only a place that outsiders feared. A normal elven king most likely would have given up the fight by now and sailed to Valinor, but not Thranduil. He was stubborn, and used that stubbornness to insist that the elves of his kingdom fight back against the growing darkness. And so they did. And they still were. It was a never ending battle, but one Legolas knew they would never give up.

Legolas led the group of elves deeper into the forest, his sharp ears keeping track of every little sound heard. A single scout had reported finding a new nest, so now they were here to kill all the spiders in it. It was nothing new. Just another day of patrol. And even though danger was involved, Legolas loved it. But sometimes he also wished he could go out of the forests of this realm and explore a little more of the world. Sure, he had visited Laketown many times before, but other than that, nothing.

They had been walking for a couple of hours now, and Legolas was sure they were nearly there. There had been some small chatter going on, but Legolas had stayed mostly silent. It was in his nature to be quiet. His mother had been much the same, when she was still alive…

Legolas shook his head. He couldn't let his thoughts distract him now. Danger might lurk near. And he was right, because only seconds later, he heard some shuffling coming from the trees. Immediately, his hands reached for his bow. "Halt!" He ordered as he strung an arrow. He waited only a second before shooting an arrow up into a tall tree and the dark and large body of a spider fell down, dead. Behind him, other elves were doing much the same. "There's more…"

Suddenly, spider after spider came down. This was it. Up in the trees, Legolas saw webs. This was their nest. "Attack!"

It became a bloodbath of elf versus spider. The elves were winning, but to their dismay, there were now over twenty spiders. This patrol group consisted of 14 elves, and they were perfectly capable of killing things. These elves were trained archers and could shoot a target from miles away. But the amount of spiders was becoming overwhelming. Once one died, another just came. And though Legolas had brought along many arrows, he was starting to run low.

Legolas ducked out of the way as two spiders came towards him at once. They knocked into each other, but quickly regained their balance. Legolas' eyes widened as one of the spiders tried to hit him but instead hit his bow hard, snapping it in half. The bows of Mirkwood were hard and sturdy. That must have been a very hard hit. But now, he was down one weapon.

Luckily, Legolas also had his twin daggers with him. He unsheathed them and started slashing at every spider he saw. His long, blond hair whipped in front of his face as he attacked. The fight seemed never ending.

"Legolas!" He heard Adasser call out. He swung around to face his friend.

"Adasser!" He cried back, realizing one of the spiders had his dearest friend trapped beneath them. He didn't ease anytime in running over and killing that spider.

The battle elsewhere wasn't going as well as planned. Several of the elves had gotten injured. One of them, it seemed, had been bitten and was lying defenseless on the ground. If they didn't give him the antidote soon, he could die. Knowing what they would be facing, they did carry a few doses of spider venom antidote, but Legolas couldn't reach it now. It would have to wait. He would just have to pray to the Valar that that poor elf would be okay.

"Adasser, are you alright?" Legolas asked hurriedly as he helped his friend up. Adasser nodded, but a distressed look crossed his face.

"Legolas, there are too many of them. We can't keep fighting forever! Some of us are wounded and need medical attention!"

Legolas sighed and ran his hand down his face. "I know, I know...You're right…" He didn't like their chances of winning if they stayed to fight some more. This was a much larger nest than any of them had fought. They would come back of course, but they would need more warriors with them. "Tell everyone we need to go. I'll hold them off while you and everyone else escapes. Help the wounded."

Adasser's mouth fell open. "Legolas, you can't! Not by yourself, they'll overwhelm you!"

Legolas turned and glared at his friend. Under normal circumstances, he would never, but they needed to leave now, and without any of the spiders following them. It was a stupid plan, but the spur-of-The-moment decision currently seemed like the only one to him. "I know they will. But you must go anyway."

"Legolas!"

"That's an order!" His words came out harsher than he meant them to.

The look Adasser gave him was full of fear. Legolas never ordered his friends around, not unless the situation was dire. And now just so happened to be one of those rare moments. He didn't like it, but he knew what he had to do.

Adasser nodded, and with a grim look on his face, told the other elves to flee. And they did, the uninjured ones supporting the wounded. They fled into the forest and Legolas killed every spider that attempted to go after him. He spun around and around, daggers in hand, killing spiders in a motion that to an outsider, might look like a dance of sorts. It was graceful, yet in a frenzy. Legolas ended up killing many spiders, but eventually, they did get the best of him.

All he remembered was being bitten by one, being trapped in a cocoon of webs, and being pulled away deeper into the forest.

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**Tbc...**


	2. Chapter 2

Aragorn, son of Arathorn, had just turned 26 years of age. It had been six years since he became the 16th chieftain of the Dúnedain, and became known as 'Strider' by the rangers of the north and the people out of the borders of the Shire. He had spent some time in Rivendell recently, and Elrond had discussed with him about his future, and what it held. It got Aragorn thinking-- if he was going to be the kin of men someday, shouldn't he become more familiar with some of the other rulers of Middle Earth?

Originally, they were just that - thoughts. But once he told his foster twin brothers, Elladan and Elrohir, they told him they agreed, much to Aragorn's surprise.

"Estel," Elladan had told him. "If you want to familiarize yourself with other rulers, we know a great place to start." He winked. "Ever thought of visiting Mirkwood?"

"Mirkwood?!" Aragorn exclaimed.

Elrohir seemed to be catching on, and nodded in reply. "Yes. The realm of the elf-king Thranduil. It could prove to be wise to go meet him and his young heir."

Aragorn's eyes were wide. He had heard many stories about Mirkwood, and all of the dangers there. He heard about how different the Silvan elves were from the Noldor; how they were more wild, more dangerous… And as far as he knew, they weren't very welcoming to outsiders, especially those of a different race. The thought of going there kind of terrified him.

The twins noticed his distressed expression, and glanced at each other, before Elladan turned back to Estel. "Thranduil's son is a great friend of ours. His name is Legolas. Surely you've heard of at least some of the stories about him?"

Elrohir grinned. "Like that time we went fishing together and Elladan pushed him in the river."

Elladan laughed. "I did no such thing! Do not tell Estel these lies!"

"Or that time we got caught by some orcs? That's not quite so humorous of a story, but now looking back on it, it really was quite the adventure!" Elrohir shook his head and smiled. "Point is, he's a good friend and would be a reliable ally, would you ever have need of one."

Aragorn pressed his lips together in a straight line, thinking. "You two would come with me though, right?"

Elladan sighed. "We wished we could Estel, really. It's been ages since we last saw Legolas. But we are needed here. You go, and send him our well-wishes."

Aragorn had made the decision to go. Legolas the elf was well spoken of by his brothers and Lord Elrond, so he supposed he should meet this prince of Mirkwood himself. It was late spring too, which was a good time to travel. And so he left Rivendell, spending many days traveling to this new elven realm. Elladan and Elrohir had given him a letter to give to King Thranduil once he arrived, and he was honestly glad for that, so there would be no mis-communications when he arrived and tried to meet them. It wouldn't do him any good to be shot down by some elven archers the second that he entered their forest.

The human had been traveling for what seemed like endless day, when he finally reached the edge of Mirkwood. A slight discomfort ran through him as he took a look at it. It seemed as though it had once been a very grand and beautiful forest, but now...Now it was so dark. The air was heavy, and he could tell just by looking at it that danger lurked within.

But then again, people lived and swelled in this vast forest, so it couldn't be that bad.

Right?

He entered the forest warily, keeping a close eye out for anything that might prove to be a threat. Weren't there supposed giant spiders here? Or orcs? Or something else? His heart rate sped up a little just thinking of it. Ranger he may be, but he was just one man. One young man who didn't currently have years of experience fighting.

Estel took a deep breath as he headed further in, treading lightly. He just had to make it all the way through this eerie forest until he came to king Thranduil's palace. He'd done more difficult things. He could handle this.

Suddenly, he heard something. It was faint, but it was there— a light scuttling sort of sound. And something else too, that he couldn't quite make out.

Aragorn hid behind a tree and waited for whatever it was to come out. An elf maybe? An orc? But he knew the footsteps of elves would be near impossible for a human man to make out, so it couldn't be an elf. Well, whatever it was, Aragorn didn't want to face it now unless it happened to be friendly.

The young ranger peered out from behind the tree, and waited. Only a few seconds passed before the sound became louder. His eyes widened when he saw a ginormous spider dragging something covered in webs behind it. Upon closer glance, he realized that something was actually a someone.

Ai, this situation just became more complicated for him. He wanted to help, but he'd never fought a giant spider before. What if it was too strong and it defeated him?

No. He knew he had to this his. He knew he had to save whoever was trapped in the spider's webs, most likely about to be devoured. He had to kill that giant, huge, deadly looking spider and rescue them.

So he did.

Aragorn unslinged his shortbow from his back and fired an arrow at the spider. Having grown up with elves as teachers, he was better than most human archers. He definitely preferred the sword though, but the longer he could stay away from that spider while still fighting, the better.

The spider let out a horrid sound that sounded like a screech of pain. It noticed Aragorn and charged at him. In return, Aragorn sent two more arrows flying. They each hit a leg, and the spider wobbled. It now being too close to shoot, he unsheathed his sword and attacked it. Slash after slash he cut a leg off. Only seconds later, he relieved the creature of its head.

Aragorn stepped back, panting slightly from the effort. "Now that wasn't so hard, was it?" He mumbled to himself. He paused only for a moment, before running over to the person bundled up in the sticky webs, and started to cut them free.


	3. Chapter 3

Aragorn cut the webs away from the mystery person's face first, so they could breath more easily. It wasn't easy, for the webs were strong, tough, and sticky. Using his dagger alone took him a couple of minutes. And after, there was the matter of waking this unconscious person up and tending to any other wounds they might have. Right now, he certainly was thankful for Lord Elrond teaching him the very useful art of healing.

It turned out though, that he didn't need to bother waking the person up. Once Estel finished cutting the webs away from their face, the person let out a pained groan and blearily opened their eyes. "Adasser…?" the spoken word/name was said very quietly, and the voice saying it sounded sort of hoarse. Aragorn's guess was that the spider bit him with some sort of venom or something, but he couldn't be sure yet. He glanced at the now half-conscious person before him.

"Are you alright?" Aragorn questioned back.

"_Na- i cin...mellon-nin?"_

Aragorn blinked. Alright, so this person spoke elvish. It made sense. They were probably an elf; he was in an elven realm afterall. And right now, they must have been confused, because they apparently thought Aragorn was their cut a little more of the web away just to be sure, and then he really got his first look at the fair being in front of him. "You're a Silvan elf!" he exclaimed more excitedly than he planned to come out.

The elf squinted his eyes, then seemed to realise what was going on, and his expression changed from one of confusion, to one of annoyance. "It would seem so," came their sarcastic reply, once they switched to western. "Now would you mind helping me out of these webs?" His voice was still weak.

"Yes, yes!" Aragorn said in a sort of frantic way. Okay, so _maybe _he was a little nervous about meeting a Silvan elf for the first time. "Are you alright? What happened?!" He started making a long cut through the webs. Now that he didn't have to be careful of the elf's face, it was going much faster.

"Urh… One question at a time, please." he attempted to move one of his arms, but it did little more than nudge."My apologies, my western is a little… rusty. But I was on patrol… We got attacked by the spiders… I stayed behind to make sure everyone else escaped." He spoke slowly. His western was good, but it was clear to Aragorn that he probably hadn't spoken it in some time. And why would he, when the elves' dealings with men were so short-lived?

Aragorn nodded, and then smiled slightly. "Your western is fine. Though, _elvish works also_." His last three words were spoken in the language of the elves, which seemed to surprise his new acquaintance.

"You can speak elvish?" he asked, his voice raised a tone.

"Aye," Aragorn replied, grinning now. "For I have lived with the elves of Rivendell for many years."

"Rivendell? Why, how? You must know-"

"Any questions you may have can wait for later. Your well-being is my top priority right now. Did you get bitten? By a spider, I mean?"

The elf frowned, as if thinking, and then gave a single nod. "I don't remember getting bit, but it would explain how I got captured and why I'm having trouble moving. Some of their venom is more dangerous and deadly, and some just have paralyzing venom. I must have gotten lucky, for I am still alive."

Aragorn let out a breath he hadn't even known he'd been holding. "That's good then, at least. And you have no other injuries I should know about?"

The elf suddenly glared at him,surprising Aragorn by his sudden anger or annoyance. "No, but explain to me why I should answer you at all. Who are you to speak to me this way? You are a man, and a strange one at that."

Despite the rude comment, Aragorn almost laughed. It wasn't the first time he'd been called 'strange'. "Well, I suppose I am," he replied, smiling. "And I know not of the dealings you've had with men in the past, but I can tell you that there's much more to me than meets the eye."

To that, the elf raised an eyebrow suspiciously at Aragorn, though this time, he could tell his interest was peaked. "And what is your name, human?"

There was a slight pause. Aragorn thought of which name to give him. Perhaps his Elvish name would be best. Afterall, that was the name he grew up using. "Estel. And you are?"

The elf looked hesitant to so readily share his name with this near stranger. He did, afterall, just meet Aragorn, so he couldn't blame him. But then again, he did save him from that spider…. Whilst waiting for a reply, Estel dragged the now-free elf over to a tree, since he was still unable to move much.

"Legolas," cane his reply at last.

Aragorn's eyes widened. "Legolas? As in _prince _Legolas? Of Mirkwood?"

Legolas smiled ever so slightly, though it looked weak. "The one and only. Pleasure to meet you then, Estel. Please forgive my initial rudeness. It's just…not many humans venture into our woods. What are you doing here anyway?"

Estel still looked a bit shocked that the elf he had saved was none other than the prince of Mirkwood. This was the elf that his foster brothers had told him so much about. "I was coming to meet you and your father, actually. My brothers sent me—Elladan and Elrohir of Rivendell."

Legolas' mouth fell open. "Elladan and Elrohir...Are your brothers?" His eyes looked over Aragorn. "They told me Lord Elrond took a young human in with them, but they never gave me your name or any other details. Why, it couldn't have been that long ago they sent me the letter about you!"

"It would have been about 24 years ago." It felt like ages to Estel, but he knew those years were almost nothing in the eyes of an elf.

"Hm."

"Well, the twins certainly told me a lot about you, prince Legolas. They spoke very highly of you. It truly is an honor to meet you." He smiled at the elf, who returned the smile.

"Just Legolas is fine, please. And that's good to hear. The adventures we shared together make quite good tales. Perhaps later, I can share with you some you've never heard. Knowing them, they skipped the embarrassing parts."

Estel laughed. "I don't doubt you." He dug through his travel pack until he found his healing supplies, and then took them out. "Can you move at all yet? I don't know much about giant-spider venom."

Legolas concentrated hard, and was able to lift his arms for a split second, but then dropped them and tilted his head back against the bark of the tree. He wore a frustrated look on his face. "No, not really." He glanced at Estel's healing supplies. "And I cannot remember how to make the cure. We may just have to wait it out."

Aragorn could tell that Legolas didn't want to merely 'wait this out'. "It wouldn't be the first time I'd have to make a cure from scratch. I could try, if you'd like."

"Really?" Legolas looked Aragorn in the eyes. "You don't have to." There was a few seconds of silence. "Though I asked the other elves on patrol to leave without me, if I don't return home soon, they'll come back to both search for me and finish killing off that large nest of spiders." He sighed. "Even if you do manage to create the cure, returning to the palace may prove to be a challenge."

Aragorn shook his head. "Then we'll get to that matter when the time comes. For now, stay here. I may not know the cure for the spider's venom, but I have worked with cures for paralyzing position before. This should be relatively the same thing, since they have the same effect." He stood. "If you need me while I search for the ingredients, send a bird's whistle three times in a row. I won't be far."

Legolas nodded. "Alright. Good luck then." He stared at the round for a moment before looking back at Aragorn. "And… I thank you."

Aragorn smiled. "It's no problem, really. It's the least I could do for a friend of Elladan and Elrohir's. Now I shouldn't be long."

Legolas watched as his new acquaintance walked away through the trees. An interesting day this had been indeed.

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_A/N: Thanks for reading guys! It really means a lot every time someone favorites, follows, or commented on one of my stories, so a HUGE thanks to everyone whose done that! And woo! I've updated three days in a row! And happy April Fools, guys! Tbh this day leaves me paranoid. To all of you in France: I hope you stuck a fish on someone's back today. To those of you who aren't french, I hope you did too anyway. Lol, pushing that aside, how was this chapter? Is it too confusing using both the names 'Aragorn' and 'Estel'? Or are you fine with it? Please leave a review!_


	4. Chapter 4

Adasser couldn't believe what had just happened. The patrol was supposed to be a simple one; a moderately easy one. They weren't planning on having to fight so many spiders at once, otherwise they would have sent more warriors along. But the nest had been much larger than anyone thought. How long it had gone unnoticed there, deep in the forest… Well he didn't want to know.

As if that was bad enough, his dear friend Legolas (who happened to be the prince of Mirkwood) made the split-second decision of staying behind to fend off the spiders, while everyone else escaped. It had been a terrible plan, and Adasser knew Legolas knew that, but then again, there wasn't much choice left. Several elves had been wounded in the fight and needed medical attention as soon as possible. They were truthfully lucky that no one ended up dead.

But when Legolas left, a feeling of discontentment and even fear rested inside of Adasser. What would become of Legolas? What if he too was wounded, or even worse?

"Ad, are you okay?" his brother, Hasdir, asked, looking up at him in concern. They were nearly at the gates of Mirkwood, and Adasser was really dreading having to tell King Thranduil the ill news.

"Yes… Yes, I'm fine." His voice trembled slightly. They both knew it was a lie.

Hasdir raised an eyebrow.

Adasser sighed and ran a hand down his face, suddenly feeling exhausted. "Why did Legolas have to do that? We could have found a way for him to flee with us! But now… But now he's…"

Hasdir placed a hand on his brother's shoulder. "He did what he had to. It may have been a rushed decision, but Legolas is wise. He will find a way out of this, and he will be back home in no time." He smiled. "I promise."

Adasser didn't reply, and instead looked down at the ground. He only hoped that his brother's promise could be fulfilled.

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Today had really not been Legolas' day. First, his patrol that Thranduil entrusted _him _to lead, had been ambushed by far too many spiders to count. And in that process, several people had gotten injured. Legolas groaned. It was all his fault. He should have realised what had been coming. But he didn't. And now things were definitely _not _going as planned.

Then there was the fact that he had actually gotten bit by one of the spiders and dragged off to who knows where. He knew he was still in the forest, but it was large and this part didn't look familiar to him. And his bow broke! His beloved bow had actually been broken during the fight! Legolas knew it was silly, but he had grown rather fond of that bow. It would take some time to get another custom one that was of the same high elvish quality.

On the bright side, Legolas had been rescued. And by a human, no less. He supposed he should thank the Valar for that small favor, but it was a bit difficult to be thankful for anything at this moment. He was currently paralyzed from his neck down, and wasn't sure how much longer he would stay this way.

That human though- Estel, his name was… Legolas had only just met him, but he suddenly had a good feeling about him. He had been raised by Lord Elrond, afterall, which most likely meant he could also do all sorts of amazing healing.

If anyone could find ingredients for and create a cure for the spider venom, a pupil of Elrond could. Even if said pupil was a human.

The only humans Legolas had dealings with in the past were from Laketown, and since not all the men he met had been too overly polite, he had been wary Estel at first. It was strange though… He felt there was something different and special about his human, but not just because he was raised by elves. And Legolas intended to find out what that 'something' was.

Estel had gone exploring in the woods only a few minutes ago, but Legolas was already growing rather bored and impatient. There wasn't much to do when you couldn't move. He was still leaned back against the side of a tree, and though he loved trees dearly, it wasn't all that comfortable. But he knew he shouldn't complain. No-o-o. He had no right to complain after everything that had happened today.

Ha. Yeah right.

A few more minutes had passed now. Legolas glanced down at his right hand, where he stared at it intently, trying his hardest to move his fingers. They twitched slightly, but nothing other than that happened. He sighed. Oh well, at least it was a start.

Then he heard something.

_Crunch._

_Crunch._

_Crunch._

The sound of dry leaves being lightly stepped on was heard.

"Estel?" Legolas called out. But no reply came. He attempted to turn his head to the source of the noise, but only partially managed it as his neck refused to comply with him. "Estel, is that you?" Still nothing but the soft _crunch _of the leaves. Legolas bit his lip, starting to worry a little. There were many dangerous things that lurked in these woods, and a paralyzed elf wouldn't do much good against any of them.

The sound was closer now. He was almost certain it was coming for him. Whatever it was. The sharp snap of a twig was heard, and then-

Silence. And Legolas, not being able to see whatever it was behind him, was now left to wonder in fear how he would get out of this.

* * *

_Author's Note:_

_My dearest thanks to everyone who has so far reviewed, favorited, followed, and just generally read this story. It's so nice to hear that you guys have been enjoying it thus far! Also, sorry that this chapter was slightly shorter than the other ones so far, but today's just been a busy day. I had to stay up late to finish this chapter. But it was worth it! _

_Anyway, thanks again for reading, and please review!_


	5. Chapter 5

There was a very long moment before the creature attacked, in which Legolas was frantically trying to think of a solution. He couldn't just stay here and let whatever it was attack him! But he couldn't move, and he feared that if he called out to Estel, it would only provoke the creature to more soonly attack him. Fortune didn't currently seem in his favor.

Suddenly, a screech was heard from where the creature stood. It would attack now, Legolas was sure. And he was right. A giant spider, though slightly smaller than the ones from earlier, dropped in front of the defenseless elf and raised two razor sharp legs to attack him.

Legolas concentrated harder than ever before on trying to get his arms to move. He was worried his attempts would prove to be futile, but to his surprise, it did work ever so slightly. Unfortunately for him though, not in the way he planned. His right arm jolted and moved to the side, but the sudden movement and weight caused Legolas to topple, and he couldn't move anymore to stop it. "Oh Eru," he muttered, fearing what would come next, as the spider stood over him.

The movement caused the spider to miss its attack, but as it was about to attack a second time, Legolas called out for help. "Estel!" he shouted, loudly and desperately. He hated nothing more than to be dependant on others, but as he could not move, he didn't have much of a choice. But even so, he doubted the human would get here on time. Legolas squeezed his eyes shut as the fangs of the beast loomed over him, ready to bite down.

"This is it then," Legolas thought. "After all these centuries, this is how I'm going to die."

But then--

Slash.

Legolas heard a heavy thump next to him, and opened his eyes. There lay the spider, dead, with a sword stuck through its abdomen. "Estel?" the elf asked in relief, as he saw his new human acquaintance pull his short sword out.

"Aye, it's me," the young man answered, a hint of a smile playing at his lips. "My apologies for coming so late. I had not realised you were being attacked. If I had only come moments later…"

Legolas shook his head and smiled. "There is no need to apologise. Once again, you saved my life."

"Well I couldn't let the childhood friend of my brothers die, now could I? They'd surely have my head."

Legolas laughed. "I don't doubt it." He paused, and then sort of sheepishly grinned. "Er...Would you mind helping me back up?"

Aragorn smirked. "Of course." He gripped Legolas by the shoulders and leaned him against the tree again. "Now, I found several herbs in the forest that will help you. They won't get rid of the paralyzing venom right away, but they will ease the effects and make it go away much faster." He set his pack down again and dug through it, before pulling out a small pot. He then started collecting sticks, twigs, and dead leaves to start up a fire. "I'm going to make a tea with the herbs," he explained as a tiny flame sprung up, soon growing. Aragorn took his water skin and emptied a part of its contents into the pot so there would be some water to heat up.

Legolas merely nodded to that, and watched Aragorn silently as he worked. It always fascinated him to watch healers do their thing. He'd seen Lord Elrond, Elladan, and Elrohir do it many times. And more of a few of those times had been because of him. He had a tendency to get into trouble...

"If the smoke rises high enough, there's a chance a patrol will come across is," the elf pointed out hopefully. There should currently be a few patrols out, though in different parts of the large forest. Mayhap one would be close enough to find and aid them. Though since Legolas wasn't technically injured, once the venom wore off traveling would be much easier.

"So tell me…" Legolas started to day to break the silence that had come between them while Estel was preparing the tea. "Why haven't Elladan and Elrohir accompanied you in this journey?"

Aragorn glanced up at Legolas. "They has other duties to attend to," he said, shrugging. "A secret errand my father- Lord Elrond sent them on. They wouldn't tell me anything about it though. Just said they couldn't make it."

"Ah," Legolas replied. "That's a shame, really. Is been at least half a century since I last saw them. Not too long, but it does feel like so. Then again-" he chuckled. "That's half a century that I've stayed out of trouble. Your brothers are bad luck."

Aragorn laughed. "Tell me about it. The things they've gotten me into!"

"I don't know how they do it. They act all proper and such, but they're a mischievous duo. And even when they aren't pulling a childish prank, they somehow find a way for someone to get injured anyway!"

The Dúnedain grinned as he watched the water boil and dropped the herbs in. "They really do. And you must have all sorts of stories to tell about them!"

"Oh believe me, I do."

They spent the next while trading stories about the twins and small adventures they'd each had with them. Whilst listening, Legolas discovered that he had more in coming with this Estel than he'd thought. And though he was young and human, Legolas could see the two of them becoming great friends. Perhaps it wasn't just coincidence that Estel had been the one to save him from the spider.

Legolas looked up at the darkening sky as Aragorn held a small cup for him and raised it to his lips, not currently being able to do it himself. The elf drank the tea, then waited patiently for the effects to kick in. This really hadn't turned out as badly as he thought it would. But there was still the matter of getting home and destroying that nest. For now though, he decided he wouldn't worry about it.

Aragorn sat across from Legolas, each on one side of the fire. In the growing darkness of the sky, shadows cast over them. The flames flickered every time a gentle breeze went by.

And there they stayed for the night, until Legolas started to drift off to sleep and Aragorn unspokenly took watch.


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: Yippeee! After about 4 months I've finally updated one of my fanfics! I am super duper sorry about keeping all of you guys waiting, but I appreciate your patience all the same :)_

_That being said, please enjoy this next chapter!_

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"Legolas!" The blond elf stirred in his sleep, not noticing the urgent whisper directed towards him. "Legolas, wake up!"

"Mhm...What is it?" the elf muttered sleepily as he gazed at the young human in front of him, now pulled from his sleep.

"Are you fully awake?"

Legolas took a minute, but he nodded. As the fog from sleep was cleared from his mind, he suddenly became a lot more coherent and aware. It was then that he noticed the terrified expression on his new companion's face. "What is it?" He repeated, sitting up. Only moments later did he realize that the effects of the spider venom were quickly wearing off now, and while his limbs still felt stiff, he could move. Which of course was great news, however, judging by the look on Estel's face, something was amiss. "Is something wrong?"

"I discovered a nest of giant spiders close to here. None of them noticed me, but I'd feel much better if we moved away from them for now," the human replied, an uneasy look on his face.

Legolas' face darkened. Not another nest. There were already so many elves risking their lives to destroy just one of them. "How big is it? Could you tell?"

Aragorn looked hesitant and shrugged. "I'm not sure. I don't have any experience with these spiders, so I couldn't say if it was a small or large nest. But I did see quite a few spiders in there."

The elf was silent for a long moment. He hated to just leave that nest there for some other poor unfortunate souls to run into, and as both a prince and a warrior, he very much wanted to get rid of it. However, it wasn't dangerously close to any settlements, so it was fine for now. He'd just have to remember it's location for later then. "Very well," his reply came at last. "I agree, we should move on."

"How well are you able to move?"

"Enough. Do not worry mellon-nin. If anything attacks, I shall be able to defend myself."

Aragorn felt warmed by the elf so readily calling him 'friend'. He knew that elves did not use that term lightly, so Legolas must already trust him a lot if he was willing to call him that.

"Good. And you're positive that you have no other injuries."

A sigh came from the elf, though a gentle smile was on his face. "Believe me, Estel, when I say that I've had enough experience with your father and brothers to know never to hide an injury from a healer. I am fine. Really."

Aragorn let out a slight chuckle at that. He knew what Legolas meant, also having been subjected to the wrath of a healer before. "Alright, let us leave then."

As Legolas slowly stood up, one hand against the tree, he noticed Aragorn eyeing him, as if making sure he would be able to move adequately. Though once the elf was up and took his first few steps since he had gotten bit, the human looked more relaxed. Legolas had temporarily lost his elven grace thanks to the stiffness still in his limbs, so his steps weren't silent and careful like they usually were. Nevertheless, he and Estel treaded quietly and carefully through the forest, not wanting their presence to accidentally be made known by any spiders.

As the two of them walked, Legolas began to feel more and more like himself again. After a while, Aragorn turned to look at Legolas. "Being the expert here and all, how much further do you think we should trek until we are safe from the spiders? I don't want you straining yourself too much right now."

A gentle smile came to Legolas' face. "No need to worry, I feel fine _Mellon-nin._" There was a slight throbbing at the site where the spider had hit him, but that was of no concern, so Aragorn didn't need to know about it. "And I do hate to say it, but in this forest, there isn't really any safe places to rest. The forest is constantly at war with itself. Along with the spiders, orcs have also been known to roam in here."

Aragorn let out a soft sigh. "I thought as much. I have heard the rumors, after all." He eyed Legolas for a moment, checking for any signs of fatigue or other ailments. The elf was still walking a bit clumsier than Estel was sure he usually did, but that was to be expected. Besides, other than that, he appeared to be fine. "Very well, we can continue for now. But if I feel the need for you to stop and take a slight rest, we will."

"Ah...So be it then," came the reply of Legolas. It was only moments later that a smirk came to his face. "You know, you remind me much of your brothers and Lord Elrond right now." He shook his head in an exasperated fashion. "All if you worry too much. I'm not an elfling you know."

Aragorn laughed. "If you insist. Some of the stories I've heard from Elladan and Elrohir could suggest otherwise."

The elf's face flushed red. "Do not believe anything they've told you! Most of their tales are outdated. It's not as if they took place only days ago."

"How outdated, exactly?" Estel asked, a sly smirk slowly emerging on his face.

A frustrated groan emanated from Legolas. He wished that he could think of something to steer away from this conversation. He didn't exactly like where it was headed. The prince of Mirkwood stubbornly folded his arms and stuck his chin up slightly. He opened his mouth to make a snarky remark—but then instead found himself suddenly staggering forward.

Luckily, Aragorn quickly noticed, and with a gasp, caught ahold of the elf before he could hit the ground. "Legolas! Are you alright?" the human asked, his eyes widened in surprise.

Legolas quickly regained his posture and shot Aragorn a smile...One that seemed almost forced. "Yes, perfectly. I just tripped over a root, that's all."

"Right…" Only, there weren't any roots in sight that were near enough for Legolas to trip on. Something wasn't right about this, and Aragorn had a bad feeling, but he said nothing of it. He'd just have to keep a closer eye on the elf for now.

So they continued to go on, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Legolas has claimed to be fined after all. Was there any reason to doubt him? Not that Estel currently knew of. For better or for worse, the Silvan elf had his trust. But if he acted strange in any other way...Well, then Aragorn would just force them to take a short break while he checked on his new companion.

There was no need to worry. Estel was a trained healer who knew more than most other humans.

So why did an uneasy feeling still linger within him? Aragorn wasn't sure.

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**Tbc...**


	7. Chapter 7

"WHAT?!" the booming shout of the elf-king Thranduil echoed out. It was early summer, so his head was adorned in a crown of bright colored leaves and branches. Though he looked every bit as regal and breathtaking as a noble elf should, at this moment, he looked utterly terrifying to poor Adasser.

"I-" Adasser started, but quickly got interrupted.

"You mean to tell me that you left my son all alone with a horde of giant spiders?" The king's tone was cool and demeaning. Adasser gulped. Why, why did he have to be the one to break the news to Thranduil? It wasn't as if he had much other choice though. About half their patrol had been wounded in at least some way, and the others were currently trying to get reinforcements. There was a bit of chaos right now, and so naturally, that meant he had to be the one to try and fix it.

"Well it's not that simple! He-"

Thranduil shook his head. "I've heard this already. Legolas told you to go. But Adasser…" The elf-king suddenly sighed and waved his hand. His expression changed from a stone-cold one to an exhausted one. It then occurred to Adasser that perhaps Thranduil wasn't really angry...He was just concerned for the well-being of his only child and family member left. "How many years have you known Legolas now?"

Adasser was a bit taken aback by the question, but he was able to quickly answer. "Nearly all of my life, sire."

"So then...Wouldn't you agree that you would understand his personality well?"

"Er...Yes?" He could see where this was headed, and his heart suddenly dropped with guilt.

"Meaning," Thranduil continued, "That you know very well how stubborn and insistent he can be. You know that he often makes rash decisions with little time to think them through. And you know that intelligent and strong he may be, he is still very young in the eyes of our people?"

"Yes…"

"Whatever selfless reasons he may have had to give the command that he did, there is no excuse for leaving him behind like that. He may have authority over you and the rest of the patrol, but keep in mind that his safety also comes first. In other words, if Legolas doesn't come back from this in one piece...There will be dire consequences."

Adasser gulped again. Thranduil's expression had changed back to the harsh one. It amazed him honestly, how his king could go from being rather pleasant, to dreary, to aggressive all in the blink of an eye. While he had respected Thranduil for as long as he could remember, no one ever liked being on his bad side.

Yet suddenly, Adasser suddenly had the impression to say something. And he knew he could very well get in trouble for saying it, but he felt as though he must. So it took a bout of courage, but only moments later he uttered the words, "You're wrong."

Silence filled the room, and though it only lasted a few seconds, it felt like an eternity to Adasser, who promptly turned bright red in embarrassment. "I-I mean no disrespect, my Lord!" He quickly added. He forced himself to take a deep breath before continuing. This may have just been the most stressful moment of his life.

"Like I just stated, I've known Legolas for most of my life. And that being said, I trust his judgement. I know you worry for him, my King, as do I. But I also know that he is very intelligent and wise, and I have faith that he made the right decision."

Adasser felt Thranduil's eyes on him, and it was almost as if they were burning a hole into his soul. He started to fear what would happen as a consequence of what he just said. But then…

"You are right."

Adasser blinked. "Pardon, my Lord?"

Thranduil tilted his head ever so slightly. "My worry for Legolas blinded the fact that I do indeed trust his judgement. Forgive my previous words, and let us waste no further time in going after him. I have no doubt now that he made the right decision back there, but even so, he may still be in danger."

A slight smile came to Adasser's lips. "Of course, my Lord. I'll assemble a patrol at once to go search for him." And after he quickly bowed and exited the throne room, that's exactly what he went to do. They would find Legolas, he was sure of it. But in the meantime...Everyone here would just have to trust that he would be okay.

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**Tbc...**


End file.
